Carla Adelmann

Carla Adelmann is a freelance documentary photojournalist from Los Angeles. She is a 2013 graduate from California State University, Northridge, holding a B.A. in Photojournalism with Urban Studies as a Collateral. Her internship took place in the photography and multimedia departments at the Daily Sundial newspaper as an undergraduate. She is a contributor to Alamy and other stock agencies, operates a portrait studio in her home that she started fourteen years ago, and has a few self-published books. Her book called “Hidden Beauties” is an example of her passion for telling stories of unsung heroes, as it is based on horses in Chatsworth, California, that have a positive, therapeutic influence on handicapped children. Other non-profit organizations she has worked with include Por Dios, a drug rehabilitation center, Rancho San Antonio Home for Boys, and the Northridge Veterans’ Hospital. She continues taking classes in film and documentary at UCLA and Pierce College, and is currently working on a project about the present homeless situation in Los Angeles, with a goal of giving them a voice.

“I have loved photography since high school in the 70’s. From the days of hanging out in the photo lab with friends for hours, to joining a team of people with the same passion for multi-media, life is good. It’s especially exciting when you have some years behind you to draw from, I know that the culmination of these things is what helps me create quality documentaries, and really, each person deserves nothing less.”

My week at the Methodology Workshop with Brian Storm and his team has been life changing. All of my questions about MediaStorm’s quality documentary filmmaking were answered as we went deeper than I expected into the storytelling secrets that make them who they are. Now the blanks are filled in, and I’m looking forward to increasing the quality of my own multimedia projects with renewed passion. Clearly compassion rules the way MediaStorm tells people’s stories, but they also make sure to get the stories in front of people who can benefit from them the most. Brian’s work is pure journalism, and he preaches his convictions on this throughout the workshop, honoring the true principals of storytelling that his company was founded on. Some of my favorite quotes from Brian are:

“What serves the story?’’

“Everything on screen should have a purpose.”

“Everything and everyone is a story.”

“Don’t just take their picture, give them a voice.”

“Simple is the hardest thing.”

Thank you Brian and all the team at MediaStorm for your inspiring generosity. I will make it count.